


Obligatory Mermaid AU

by BlackbatRevolution



Series: The Complete Cranscott AU Saga [3]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Aquamarine (2006) Inspired, Cranscott, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 13:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11968053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackbatRevolution/pseuds/BlackbatRevolution
Summary: A young merman (who has been listening to far too many fairy tales) runs away from home to follow his dreams and goes on a small adventure with some unlikely accomplices to find his one true love.





	1. Chapter 1

 

“That cannot be what I think it is!” Trini screams in terror whiles slowly backing away from the edge of the pool.    
  
“It is!” Zack squeals excitedly, practically about to leap into the water.  His far more sensible friend reaches out and grabs him by his shirt to keep him out of the pool for his own safety. “It’s a…It’s…a

“ _Mermaid_ ,” The creature states while smiling brightly and waving at the teens. Swiftly swimming through the murky, seaweed filled pool water, it makes its way across the pool resurfacing to face them. “It’s the probably the term you’re most used to as American English speakers. Merman would be the male equivalent and mer-person or mer-son being the gender neutral variant. I identify as a male _merman_ , but I am not put off with your use of mermaid as a generalized term.” he elaborated.

Trembling with a mixture of fear and disbelief the two now clung to each other, staring down at the self proclaimed merman in front of them. He appeared entirely human from his torso up upwards but the long realistic looking scaly blue tail confirmed that he was indeed the mythical sea creature or at least had a really, really good costume.

“Mermaids are not real!” The girl shrieked. The fear on her face was replaced with anger. This was not making sense and it was pissing her off. It has to be a prank. “If you’re a mermaid how are you speaking English huh explain that buddy?!”

“And what are you doing in her pool! This is private property!” Zack added, now leaning over the pool to get a good look at the so called merman. It was a boy, about his age. He had dark brown skin, jet black coiled hair and as moonlight shone on his face he could pinpoint more attractive African American features.

“First of all, I take offence at you denying my existence while I’m right in front of you!” The merman retorts, furrowing his eyebrows and pouting. “Second of all, we mer-people speak all languages known to human, fish, crustacean and several varieties of sea fowls.” Turning his attentions to Zack, he pointed his finger in his face indignantly. “And I didn’t choose to be here! The waves brought me here!” He gestures towards the fence of the seaside property that was destroyed by the large storm waves that must have carried the merman into their pool against his will.

“What do you want from us then?” She asked filled with frustration and confusion, gripping her beanie covered head as she reevaluates her entire belief system. “Can’t we help you get back to the sea or something?”

“We can make some serious money off of this!” Zack celebrates their discovery by pulling out his phone and rudely begins snapping pictures. “We will be famous too. We can’t just take him back to the ocean!” He argues.  
  
“No! No! No! You can’t take me back to the ocean!” The merman shouts repeatedly, startling the two teens. His deep brown eyes were glazed over and filled with fear. Zack and Trini saw the unmistakable look of utter desperation on his face and heard the vulnerability in his voice. “I have something very important that I need to do on land and if you help me I will make one of your wishes come true.”

“Mermaids can grant wishes?” She asked, internally examining all the mermaid lore she has absorbed from pop culture, none of which included granting wishes.

“Isn’t wish granting a genie thing?” Zack chimed in, equally skeptical.                 

“You _actually_ believe in genies?” The merman laughed at their apparent gullibility, ignoring his own status as a fictional aquatic sea creature who can supposedly grant wishes.  
                                                                             

  
When best friends Trini and Zack had met up the night before to brood and complain about their problems in her Tree house during the tropical storm, it never crossed their minds that they would be propositioned by a merman in Trini’s pool. They also could not predict that instead of calling the newspapers and posting a video on the internet like Zack had initial wanted they would be hard at work drying the scaly tail of said magic merman.

“Are you sure this will work?” Trini asked grabbing yet another one of her mother’s towels from the linen closet in her basement to help dry off the merman’s tail. She was going to be the one who has to wash and dry these right away before her parents wake up in three hours or she’s in big trouble. “Because you still feel kind a.... _slimy_.”

“Yes, if I dry off I will have legs, or that’s what others tell me. I’ve never done it before, oh and the slime is natural and normal,” He informed, “Mer-people everywhere rub their scales with jelly fish and seaweed to get this naturally slimy!” He said as if bragging.  Zack experimentally rubbed his fingers between the blue scales, touching the smooth, soft and slimy skin. It was identical to that of a fish but way larger and more majestic. “Can you stop touching me now?” He said bluntly to the curious boy, his discomfort written clearly on his face.

“Sorry, this is just so fucking weird and surreal,” the boy apologized, declaring his bewilderment. He took over towel drying while Trini attempted to use her handheld blow dryer to speed up the process and reduce her future wash load. “So…these wishes…how powerful are they and can they… involve other people?” He asked earnestly.

When the initial shock wore off it was not hard to think of a couple wishes, though a million came to mind, two stood out that would solve the exact problems they were brooding about. Zack’s mother was had stage four breast cancer and Trini, his best friend and only support system during this ordeal was about to move again and leave Angel Grove for good.  Being rich and famous would be amazing but right now these were their priorities.

“Well I can’t violate the laws of nature but other than that any one wish, _involving anyone_ ,” He said smirking with pride. Trini’s innovative use of the hairdryer was paying off as they spoke. “And all you have to do is help me find my true love…in three days.” He added with a beaming smile.

Trini and Zack stopped what they were doing and stared at their new friend in utter shock.

“That is one tall order dude!”  Zack whisper screamed afraid to wake up Trini’s strict parents. “That stuff doesn’t just fall out the sky you know!” He gestured wildly out of irritation.

“Yeah telling us to find your true love in three----Oh my god!” As Trini spoke the merman’s legs started to transform, separating in two first before slowly morphing into the exact image of average human legs. There were long, slim, hairy and dark brown like the rest of him.

“I have legs! I have legs! I have legs!” He suddenly jumps up shouting and happily flapping his arms around completely naked. “I have legs just like you two! We have legs! We’re leggy buddies.” He exuded joy as he bounced around awkwardly on his new legs.

Trini and Zack could not stop him as he ran around the room happily flailing his arms and squealing in a high pitched voice. It was growing incessant and abnormal until he suddenly froze, put his hand between his legs and grabbed his third new appendage, too small to be another leg . “What’s this? What does it do? It looks limp and useless,” He remarked in dissatisfaction, lifting it up and down.

“Dude, can you stop playing with your dick!” Zack bursts out laughing, “A lady is present, well Trini is here and she counts as a lady!” He adds, prompting Trini to elbow him harshly in his side.

But even she couldn’t help devolving into a fit of uncontrollable snickers as the naked boy stands in front of the full length mirror on the linen closet’s door inspecting his new form, marveling at his new lower body, taking special interest in his genitals.

This was going to be a very interesting last three days of summer.

  
Trini managed to put the used towels in the washing machine and sneak him up to her room without waking up her parents, they were notorious sound sleepers and Zack has been spending the night in her room for years now without them noticing.

She also took the liberty to steal some of her Dad’s clothes and give them to the merman. It took quite some time to convince him of the benefits of wearing clothes but eventually he gave him, donning a large sky blue and white Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. He seemed very partial to the color blue, though he still claims it is not his favorite color.

Zack had to leave to go home, sleep a couple hours and get ready for his summer job running the Snack Shack at the seaside fun fair. He needed the money to help his mom pay for medicine and to keep them afloat.

She was tasked with babysitting Billy, just long enough for her mom and dad  leave the house to do some final moving preparations and her twin brothers to leave for a friend’s house. She kept him busy with books and television; he took a great interest in her physics and biology textbooks and carried on a full conversation with the fishes in her tank. As it turns out her fishes hate their living conditions and have been planning to revolt and kill her the next time she cleans their tank.

It was startling but not entirely surprising, she never trusted the evil look in the eyes of a particular goldfish with the black spot on his body, and she called him napoleon. He was the instigator for sure. He will be dealt with swiftly.

At around 1 o’clock her family had left the house, so she could finally open her room door and let out the busybody merman. Trini kept her merman friend from fiddling with and taking apart all of the electronic devices in the house, by dragging him out of the house. Unfortunately the toaster lost it life when Trini left him alone to take a shower and get dress but she came back in time to save her laptop, _thank god_. She had no idea where he managed to find her Dad’s power tools.  His curious antics were a nuisance but the way he looked at the world with such pure enthusiasm and glee was just heartwarming. She slowly was beginning to warm up to him.

Her walk with him to the beach fair grounds was the most fun she has had in a long time. He kept asking what everything was and wanted to touch everything. His zest for life was refreshing. Bravely, he ran up to a stray dog, running his hands over its shaggy back repeatedly, sighing dreamily, commenting on how soft and plush it was. To his dismay the excitable pup wanted to return his affection by licking his hand which startled him causing him to run away frightened. Trini ran after him, trying to calm him down but before she knew it they were at their destination.

“What is your name anyway, we can’t just keep calling you merman,” She panted, having lost her breath running after him.

“William, prince William of Atlantis, but everyone calls me Billy. It makes no sense to me why. How they get “Billy” from William is beyond me. I think it is due to human influence, we’ve started picking up human customs,” He rambled absentmindedly, as his eyes wondered around the fairgrounds absorbing all he saw, hear and felt.

“You’re the prince of Atlantis?” Trini asked, shocked as he did not act very princely. “If you’re royalty why are you wasting your time searching for love when you should be ruling over mer-ple?”

“My mother is making me get married, that freak tropical storm you had a yesterday was her throwing a tantrum because I ran away,” Billy answers, his eyes still processing the various attractions and people at the grounds. There were so many new distracting moving colors, shapes and loud sounds he was not used to.

He had to close his eyes and just let Trini lead him over to Zack’s booth. It became easier that way.  But he still wished but he could turn the noisy chatter down around him. “Our culture doesn’t have love. You marry who your parents pick for you. You can contest it if a person is unfit but the mermaid my mother wants me to marry is a not unfit, she perfectly nice actually.”

“Then why not marry her if she’s not unfit, whatever that means?” Trini asks plainly, trying not to call attention to the fact he had his eyes shut tightly and was gripping her hand as she lead him over to Zack’s Snack Shack. “It’s much easier than trying to find true love in three days. Why three days anyway? Can’t you swing three months? ”

“I don’t want to marry someone I don’t care for. Three days is the time limit my mom gave me or she’ll drag me home. She believes true love doesn’t exist and I’m wasting my time. She also thinks searching for love on the surface world is far too dangerous. She thinks everything is too dangerous ugh,” He groaned, perturbed by his overprotective mother.

 When they reached the booth Billy unknowingly skipped the line of irate costumers to speak to his familiar new friend. He raised his hand for Zack to do the high five thing, a greeting he just learned this morning. “Hi, Zack!”

“Hey dude.” He said, high fiving him willingly. He ignored the line of grumbling costumers not too happy Billy was skipping the line and holding up service. “Want some cotton candy Trin? Mer-dude?” He offered one to Trini and Billy, indicating they should stand on the sidelines as to not completely ruin his business.

“Its Billy, his name is Billy and I’ll pass,” Trini says pulling Billy to the side of the booth, the merman obediently gets out of the way but still couldn’t help leaning over once and a while to visually inspect all the foreign food people were buying. “But the way he wolfed down those donuts at breakfast, he really likes sugar, so give him one.”

Billy grins in anticipation at the thought of eating something as good as the donuts he had a breakfast. Excited, he grabbed the confectionary on a stick and examined it thoroughly before he ate it, he did that to everything.  

He smelled it. It had an unnaturally sweet enticing aroma. He then brought it to his lips. When the soft fluffy texture pressed against his skin his eyes widen and he sighed peacefully. Rubbing the pink cottony sweet against his cheeks, he hummed softly, his eyes closed. It relaxed him. It made the over simulating chaotic beach fair a little more bearable.

“It tastes even better than it feels dude,” Zack encouraged, as Billy’s behavior was gathering an audience. He felt protective as a group of guys had started pointing and snickering at him.

He looked over to Trini and saw that she had her teeth and fists clenched; silently threatening the assholes, poised to break some teeth if any of them even tried saying anything to him about his stimming.

Nodding his head Billy did as prompted; He took a big bite of the cotton candy. For about three seconds he held the confectionary in his mouth, savoring the hyper saturated sweetness of it all before it disappeared. It was on his tongue so briefly before evaporating in his mouth.

“Trini! Zack! It’s gone!” He squealed, sticking out his tongue to show them it had vanished. “I have to know what this is made out of!”

His friends giggle as he bites off another big patch of cotton candy, eyes lighting up when it happens again. “Its water sensitive isn’t it? Its reacting to my saliva, how cool!”

He squirms frantically when he takes his final bite, marveling at the mini chemical reaction about to happen in his mouth. He couldn’t keep himself from flailing his hands excitedly, when it did dissolve again, vanishing, only leaving behind a trail of saccharine oils on his tongue.

It was truly a precious moment until one of Billy’s flapping arms accidently slaps the triple scoop ice cream cone out of a red haired guy’s hands.

“Watch what you’re doing you freak!” The guy threatens, pushing Billy hard against the wooden wall of the snack shack.

“Cool it Colt,” Zack warns from inside the booth, working to scoop him another identical cone of ice cream. Colt Wallace had a bad reputation disproportionate retribution and it was best to just appease him. “I’ll give you back another one on the house.”

“I don’t want another one! I wanted that one,” Colt Wallace says through gritted teeth, he and his gang of burly guys begin menacingly crowding around Billy, to the extent Trini had began losing her nerves.

“I’m really sorry!” Remorseful Billy hastily bends down on the ground, picks up the cone and tries scooping the dirt covered ice cream clump back onto it. “I’m so sorry! I don’t think you can eat this but if it’s what you want, here.”

Colt knocked the sullied cone out of Billy’s hand and gripped him by his sky blue Hawaiian shirt, creasing the images of white palm trees. “What is wrong with you!!!?”

The merman turned human was now seeing what his mother meant by the surface world being too dangerous. All he could do was freeze in place, confused and uncomfortable by what was happening. Things were going so well he had no idea how he got here and why this barnacle was accosting him.

“Leave him alone Wallace!” Trini warned, growing angrier by the second. She definitely wasn’t going to let him lay a hand on Billy, even if it means she and Zack having to take Colt and his gang on by themselves.

“What are you going to do if I don’t?” He said with a shit eating grin that made the girl’s skin crawl.

“This!” Someone shouted out of the blue. Colt turned around to see who it was but instead met with a firm fist that connected hard with the side of his cheek. The sound was heard by anyone in the near vicinity.  
  
 Collapsing to the ground from the impact of the blow, the bully clutched injured his cheek in pain and looked up to see another guy standing over him, aggravated scowl, glaring at Colt and his gang tempting them to defend themselves.   
  
“Jason Scott?” He asked skeptically, after his mind cleared he could see how familiar the guy looked. His eyes widen in pure shock as if he was seeing a famed celebrity. “What does this have to do with you?”

  _Jason Scott_ , now Billy had a name to put to the face of his savior. It repeated over and over in his head.

“It doesn’t matter Colt. You mess with him, you mess with me.” Jason warned him, clenching his fists, chest rapidly rising and falling. “Now Get Lost!” He aggressively, spat at the bully.

Without need for further convincing the boy scrambled to his feet, and swiftly took off in the other direction, his gang running as scared as he was behind him. It was quite the spectacle, a few bystanders were applauding and cheering but Trini and Zack could not stop laughing.  

Billy stared at Jason Scott, eyes glittering and gleaming with fascination. He watched the way his dark blonde hair blew in the summer breeze, a little kiss curl of hair in the middle of his forehead. The way his breathing calmed and his shoulders relax when Colt was out of view, was mesmerizing. He looked like a completely different person when his eyes met Billy’s in an intense yet gentle gaze.

It made him feel different. He has never felt this way before. It felt like fear, as if adrenaline was racing through his veins but it wasn’t fear. Fear made him want to run and hide, while this feeling made him want to get closer to the source. He knows what this feeling is. It has to be it.

Billy walks over to his hero, standing directly in front of him. He never takes his eyes off Jason and Jason never breaks the gaze either.  There was a peaceful silence exchange of emotions, anyone one else would think they were communicating telepathically. It all came to an end when a wide grin spread across the merman’s face.

“Are you okay?” Jason’s concern for the boy was already apparent.

“I love you!” Billy proclaimed, smile brilliant and wide, his eyes sparkling with youthful naïve enthusiasm.  This was his one true love, it has to be. “Do you love me?”

“What?”

“What!!!?” Rightfully bewildered and frightened by the sudden declaration of love from the complete stranger, Jason looked passed the delusional boy to an equally confused Trini and Zack, hoping the familiar faces can clear up whatever is going on.

Day one of their three day true love search isn’t even halfway over and this merman just confessed his love to Jason Scott, the most popular boy in school, quarterback of the Angel Grove’s star football team the tigers and the patron saint of straight boy stereotypes.

He literally has no chance in hell.

 

  
“He means thank you! English just isn’t his first language.” Zack loudly declares as Jason stared up at the giddy boy in front of him, proclaiming his love. “He’s umm…French, from the….. French Caribbean, a small Island, you wouldn’t know it. His accent is spot on but he still gets his words confused sometimes. He means thank you for defending him.”

“No problem, I saw the whole thing, it was an accident.” He replies returning Billy’s smile now that he had a believable explanation. “I just hate guys like that. He picks on freshmen too.” He then scans Billy’s face and could not pinpoint if he had ever met him, considering Angel Grove was a small town, everybody knew everybody and if a strange French Caribbean student had come to Angel Grove High it would be big news. “Who are you?”

Trini interject, thinking on her feet. Smiling nervously at Jason, she walked over to Billy’s side as he silently stared at the boy adoringly. “He’s my…cousin Billy!” Receiving a look of disbelief from Jason as she claim’s Billy as a blood relative though having none of the same features, she then quickly adds. “Through marriage…he’s my cousin through marriage and he’s staying with us for three days.”

“Well it was nice meeting you Billy, don’t let jerks like Colt get you down.” Jason puts his hand out for Billy to shake and the merman shakes it enthusiastically. “I’ll be over by the paddle boats if anyone needs me. My dad is making me give ride to pay for the damages I did to the truck during the infamous senior prank,” He sighed dejectedly, waving goodbye to his classmates as he turned to slowly scroll towards the sea.

Billy immediately woke up out of his trance as Jason started walking away. He turned around and looked back to his friends, frowning miserably. “Why is he leaving? He’s my one true love! Doesn’t he love me?”

“Billy, love doesn’t happen at first sight for most people,” Trini sighed, patting his slumped shoulder comfortingly.

 “And you have to pick someone else, anyone else!” Zack advised, motioning to Jason walking away. “That is Jason Scott, he’s the most popular guy at school, and he’s a football player ergo _straight_.”

“And I heard that he’s dating that bitch Kimberly hart, I hate to admit it but she’s crazy hot and won’t let him go easily. You have no chance,” Trini added, her face twisted in disgust when she mentioned Kimberly’s name.

“There is no one else! It has to be him.” The flames of passion and desire were lit within Billy; you could see it in the way his eyes sparkled as it spoke. “Did you see the way he defended me? That was fate bringing us together and love and fate go hand in hand…according to the fairy tale’s I’ve read,” He gushed, unable to think logically, his naiveté and innocence clouding his judgment.

The two friends stared at his smitten lovesick expression and sighed. Simultaneously they faced each other and conversed amongst themselves, trying to ignore the fish man’s reasoning.

“Could a guy like Jason fall for him somehow?”

 “No way,” Trini said bluntly, “That’s like a cheerleader falling for me. It just doesn’t happen in real life.”

“I thought so,” Zack nodded in agreement, sighing somberly. “You know as parents now we can’t stop our mer-child from following his gay dreams, no matter of ridiculously impossible.” There was still humor in his voice even though he was clearly just as conflicted.

“Even if it means jeopardizing our wish?” Trini’s voice was soft and quiet.

“We have no choice. He says he wants no one else.” They hadn’t discussed with each other or Billy what they would wish for. It was one wish and healing Zack’s mother was a far more useful use of the opportunity. Trini didn’t want to move away but she rather be living across the country knowing that Zack still has his mother, for most of his life. “We’ll just have to help in whatever way we can, to increase his chances.”

“Agreed.” Trini said, knowing what a sacrifice Zack was making.

Opening the cash register he pulled out several old crumpled up bills and handed them to Billy, along with a small cooler with some snacks in it. “Go get your man,” Zack encouraged, smirking mischievously. “Tell him you want to ride in a paddle boat for the first time, this amount should ensure he has to spend the entire day with you, have a little picnic on me.”

“That is a genius idea, coming from you Zack, I’m beyond shocked,” Trini snorted, slugging him in the arm.  
  
“I’m full of surprises,” He replies, confidently, still having to rub the spot where she punched.

“Thank you! Thank you for your sacrifice!” Billy shouted running off towards the sea where Jason waited at the shore. “You won’t regret it! I’m going to make him love me!” His triumphant declarations startled the nearby patrons.

He was so sure of himself that you had to root for him, his joy was infectious.

 

Racing to the shore Billy makes it just in time to beat a blonde girl to the front of a line just forming for paddle boat rides, the line that form behind him was made up of eager giggling adolescent girls. When Trini and Zack said he was popular they weren’t kidding.

Finished with prepping the paddle boat Jason faced the line of costumers; he flashed a charming smile when he saw Billy at the front. “Hey Billy, what ups?”

“I want to ride in a paddle boat for the first time,” He replied grinning, shoving the money in Jason’s hand. “How many rides can this get me?”

Jason sorted through the crumpled up bills, his eyes widening, “Billy this is over fifty dollars, this can give you the whole day,” He informed, still awestruck.

“Then I want the whole day,” The merman declared, ignoring the groans of the complaints from the girls that are not going to get a chance to ride the paddle boats today.

“Well this is two person operated, do you have a partner?” He asked, eyeing the group of girl’s glaring at Billy, Amanda Clarke looking ready to kill him from her second place position behind him. None of them could be friends of his.

“Nope,” Billy chimed, patting the seat next to him for Jason to sit down. “I guess you’ll have to come with me.”

“I guess I do have to come with you,” The conductor says far too willingly, hopping into the paddle boat, giving the pissed off group of girls a jaunty salute before steering the boat out to sea. He leans over to paddle boat partner grinning from ear to ear. “Thanks for this Billy. I’ve been driving squealing preteens around all summer. I really needed this break.”

“I even got us a picnic,” Billy patted the cooler on his lap, opening it up to reveal a small buffet packed in there. Having never looked in there he was surprised too.

“You are amazing Billy,” He complimented, reaching into the cooler to grab a cold soda, comfortably lying back in the vehicle, lazily paddling with his feet.

Never had Billy been more grateful to have dark brown skin than now. Heat spread from his neck to his cheeks when Jason complimented him, attempting to form a blush. He was bashful, he rarely ever felt bashful, and it was exhilarating.

He loved being in love.

 

Jason and Billy were having a wonderful time, as two people who hardly had anything in common it sure was unexpected. They would genuinely laugh together, Billy would laugh at what Jason said and vice versa but at no point did Jason laugh at Billy, he laughed with him and that made a big difference to Billy.  Mermaids were not much nicer than humans were.  
  
While they paddled around the coast of Angel Grove Jason talked about all the hilarious happenings at Angel Grove High and Billy talked about all the things he saw travelling the world, leaving out the fact he was under the water for all of it.

“You’ve been to so many incredible places,” He marveled, gazing over at Billy with admiration. “I’ve never even left this small crap town.”

“My family migrates…with the currents I guess,” Billy says nervously chuckling, “And I don’t think Angel Grove is a crap town, I’ve met great people here, Zack and Trini,” He bumps Jason with his shoulders, smiling at him, “and of course _you_.”

“I am not great, I’m awful actually,” He denies, shaking his head disparagingly for emphasis.

“Well from where I’m sitting I see a kind and valiant guy,” Billy opines, his words genuine and precisely chosen.  “The way you defend the meek, that is admirable. You are truly a great guy Jason Scott,” He charmed, his eyes never leaving Jason’s face during.

Jason blushed, his pale cheek growing rosier under Billy’s gaze. He just brought his soda bottle to his lips downed it all quickly to buy himself some time to think. In an effort to progress the conversation passed silence, he mentioned Colt made it a habit of picking on autistic students, shedding light on why he made a bigger deal of the accident than he should have.

“If you’re so bad why did you defend me?” Billy asked, truly puzzled as to why a guy like Jason Scott thought so little of himself.

“I wasn’t being as altruistic as you think,” Jason scoffed, as if actively trying to dispel Billy’s hero worship. “In all honesty I’ve been so angry, so pissed off lately, and I needed someone to take it out on.”

“Oh,” Billy replied, unable to relate to wanting to hurt someone because he was hurting.

“Yeah I was actually hoping Colt and his goons would take me on, I need something to release all this pent up aggression,” He explains, simultaneously clenching his fist.

The boy next to him noticed the unconscious habit and wondered if it helped Jason to calm down the same way his stimming helped him. “Why do you think you’re so angry?”

“You know that senior prank I mentioned earlier, the one where I damaged the truck?”  He reminded, paddling their boat near a shady mangrove swamp, near the coastline.

“Yeah,” Billy nodded, appreciating the shade from the trees.

Jason sighs, facing Billy head on. “I was doing it for my dad, he didn’t tell me to do it but he did it his senior year when he was star quarterback and he was always bragging about getting away with it.”  Billy nods his head, showing Jason he was being attentive and genuinely cared.  “My dad and I never had a lot in common but we had football, I’m not sure I ever liked football as a kid but he loved it so I grew to love impressing in on the football field,” He admitted, appreciating that he was being listened to and understood.

“Hmm.”

“I don’t like barbecues, fishing, any other sport, hunting or… girls…..” He paused, having realized what he just accidently confessed. “…the same way he does…..I still like that stuff…just differently,” He added, unconvincingly. “I just wanted to do something rebellious and have something else in common with him that we brag about together.”

“How did he react?” Billy asked, oblivious to any reference to Jason’s sexuality.

“He was pissed, grounded me and made me take this bullshit summer job so he can keep me out of trouble so I don’t ‘jeopardize my future anymore’. He is such was hypocrite for punishing me for something he did when he was my age! It’s so unfair. I think he’s madder I got suspended from the team for a season than me actually doing the prank,” He growled, now clenching his jaw along with his fist, he was wound so tightly, it look as if he could explode at any moment.

The merman swallowed a gulp, very affected by the raw emotion being unloaded onto him. “Have you…tried to explain to him how you feel?”

Jason seemed to have noticed he was overwhelming Billy with all this personal information, he himself was shocked he had shared this much. “I tried but it always end ups with us at each other’s throats, so I stopped trying all together,” He released a wary sigh before redirecting the conversation.  “What about you? I can’t be the only one with parent issues.”  
  
“No, _I have issues_ ,” Billy replied, fingers absentmindedly squeezing some gummy bears in his hand. “It’s just me and my mom because my dad died 7 years, 4 months and two days and since then my mom has been extremely over protective of me.”

“I can imagine, you’re all she has left.” He was trying to be as understanding as Billy was for him, but he couldn’t help being fascinated with how Billy can keep track of how long his father has died to the very day

“I understand that but it just comes off as her underestimating me, babying me and worst of all dismissing my passions and dreams,” He frowns, looking at the water longingly, hoping the omnipotent water goddess could hear him.

“What are you passions and dreams?” Jason asked, watching Billy’s eyes gleaming with zeal at being asked.

Billy clapped his hands excitedly, responding completely sure of himself. “I want to be a discoverer, an explorer. I like discovering new things but I don’t want to keep it to myself. I don’t know how or why but I think that’s my mission in life, to find new worlds, new ideas and just the treasures of the world and use them to help people.”

Basking in Billy’s positivity aura uplifted his spirits, encouraging him to share his own dreams. “Whoa, I think that too. I could really see myself helping people, being apart something…bigger than myself.”

A peaceful silence followed that confession.  
  
They gaze into each other’s eyes, leaning closer to each other without realizing.  Jason was mesmerized by the way the orange light of the setting sun hit Billy’s skin, making it glow warmly. “The sun is already setting, I guess we lost track of time,” He whispered, unable to take his eyes off Billy’s lips.

“The sun is setting,” Billy wistfully repeated, leaning in just as slowly, this was it. He was going to have his first kiss with his true love.

It was going to be just like the fairy tales, he thought, closing his eyes.

Then it hit him. The sun was setting. _The sun is setting._

His eyes shot open at the realization, “The sun is setting! Jason the sun is setting!” He shouted, recklessly rocking the boat looking for an exit.

“What is wrong Billy,” Jason asks, grabbing a hold of Billy’s shoulders to settle him down.

“No I need to leave! I need to get out of here!” He screams hysterically, knocking Jason hands off his shoulders and begins rapidly paddling the boat with his feet, trying to get to the shore.

He was paddling far too hard and fast, Jason could not keep up so the paddle boat kept going in circles.

 “Billy!!!” Jason yelled, trying to get through to him.  “I’m going to need you to stop paddling the boat,” He instructed, more softly having Billy’s eyes on him. “Inhale, count to three in your head then exhale and repeat while I steer the boat the shore.”

Gripping the edge of the paddle boat Billy tried to do as instructed but ended up hyperventilating, breathing too quickly to calm himself down.

 “Billy you’re breathing too fast, you must be counting to fast. Do it like this, inhale, 1 pause, 2, pause, 3, pause then exhale, think the word ‘pause’ if you have to,” He demonstrated, using techniques he learned from football.

Nodding his head Billy did as told, inhaling a large amount of air he counted in his head before exhaling and repeating the process.

 “You’re doing great Billy,” He encouraged, as Billy a quick learner picked up the technique almost right away. “Don’t worry about paddling, I’ll paddle, just do what you need to stay calm, listen to my voice,” He steering the paddle boat by himself, they began to move at a speedy yet productive pace.

Jason paddled harder and faster, when Billy closed his eyes and began to rhythmically rub the rough sandpaper exterior of the boat with his open palm. “Umm…I had a great day today, we spent hours out there and I didn’t even notice,” He said, providing background noise as Billy was hard at work setting himself at ease. “Since you’ve never been to Angel Grove, you don’t know about the last splash right?”

“It’s a like the finale to all the fairs, there fireworks at night, great food, games and I haven’t cared about things like this in a while...but…” Opening his eyes Billy saw they now neared the shoreline, so close he could jump out and run to land and only get as far as his knees wet. But he could not get wet under any circumstances. “Would you want to go with me? I get off work at three. I could show you around...”

Overwhelmed by his panic Billy was barely able to hear Jason and could hardly respond beyond nodding his head. “Cool…maybe we can meet at the surf---  
  
The boat hit the wooden dock with a thud and Billy jumped onto it. “Yes! Okay! Bye Jason!” Billy says hastily running off leaving Jason behind in the boat staring longingly at him.

He didn’t turn around so he couldn’t see Jason’s sad little wave or Kimberly Hart walking over to him.

Trini saw and she squished her foam cup of lemonade when she saw her lean over and hugged Jason, Billy speeding off towards Trini like his life was in jeopardy.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comments?

 

“You turn back to a mermaid at night? Really kid? Really? Anymore plot twists you want throw our way,” Trini groaned at having to pouring another bucket of water into the large inflatable pool Billy sat in.

“Let me think.” Tilting his head to the side, tapping his chin Billy reviewed all the rules mermaids were forced to abide by when on land. “I can’t get wet or I turn back, I have to keep it secret and I definitely can’t go in the sea or my mom will just manipulate the currents and drag me home but I think that’s it.”

“Figures it would get even harder.”

The trio barely made it back to Trini’s tree house before it got dark, moonlight shined on Billy and he grew back his tail. There was no way he could stay in Trini’s pool or bathtub again without her family finding out but he still needed to sleep in some water, so she and Zack brought up her brother’s sizeable inflatable pool to the tree house and hoped it would be comfortable enough.

 “What did you and Jason do in a paddle boat for hours anyway?” Zack asked panting, having to carry several buckets of water up a tree.

“We talked about stuff….personal stuff,” He said vaguely, laying back into the water, submerging his entire lower body.

“Oh, what kind of personal stuff, anything juicy?” Zack’s smirks grew wider as he thinks about the delicious secrets a popular guy like Jason Scott had.

He was about to tell Zack when he remembered the look of vulnerability on Jason’s face when he shared with him,  a wave of guilt washed over him when he thought of betraying Jason’s trust. “I don’t think I can tell you…Jason trusts me.”

“He trusted you with secrets? That is a good sign kid, _a great sign_!” A feeling of hope had filled Zack when he heard that, this was a lot more than progress than they had imagined in such a short time. “Did he say anything you can tell us?”

Concentrating hard on the details of the paddle boat ride he was able to remember Jason did say something else while he was having his mini meltdown. “He mentioned something about ‘The last plash’…. I don’t know I could barely focus.”  
  
Zack and Trini’s eyes widened, they invaded Billy’s personal space and started shaking him by his shoulders, too excited to control themselves. “What did he say? Did he invite you! Do you have a date?”

“I don’t know!” Billy shouted, his face showing his discomforted, he froze up until they pulled away. “All I remember is him saying “at three” and surf something,” He added, sinking into the water until his shoulders were covered.

“Surf  shack!!!” They shrieked in union, as giddy as a couple of school girls. “He wants you to meet him at the surf shack at three tomorrow!”

Both teens began jumping about the wooden tree house, having complete faith it can hold their weight. “Yes he is in Trini! He is actually going on a real date with Jason Scott!” Zack shouted, picking up the smaller girl, twirling her around the room.  “I can’t believe he could actually find his one true love!”

As Trini rolled her eyes, letting herself be manhandled by her easily excitable best friend she remembered what she had seen today. It was not going to be as easy as they suspected. “Not if Kimberly Hart gets in the way, I saw the way she hugged him today when Billy left. I know the rumors, she even has pictures of them alone together all over her Instagram,” she ranted throwing her hands in the air.  
  
“Why do you hate her so much?” Billy asked, feeling the wave of negative emotions flow off Trini and envelope the room. He has a gift of picking up on emotions even if he didn’t always understand them.

“Because she’s a bitch that’s why!” Trini says dismissively, pouting and folding her arms, indicating there was more to the story.

Zack rolled his eyes and smirked. “Yeah sure that’s why, has nothing to do with your special connection.”

“Special connection?” The merman asked curiously, slowly rising out of the water.

“ _Ignore him Billy_ ,” She was now switching between glaring at Zack for snitching and at Billy for being interested.

Zack cleared his throat, sat down in a chair and crossed his legs. He appeared as if he was about to tell a bedtime story to child, Billy’s sweet naïve eyes completed the scene. “Well it seems even before she moved to Angel Grove she and Kimberly met at music camp as kiddos, they are both trained singers. When they left camp they kept in touch with a few phone calls and letters here and there.”

“Cut it out Zack it’s not even important!” She protested, crossing her hands indignantly over her chest.

“Who is he gonna tell? We’re his only human friends,” Zack countered, knowing how far he could push his friend's buttons without really offending her. “Back to story time…so one day Kimberly writes that she made the cheer squad and has two new friends, Amanda and Rebecca, and after that there were no more calls or letters.” Billy’s expression saddens when he hears this and he sees Trini turn her back to them, as if to hide her reaction.

“Trini’s parents move to Angel Grove and she tried to catch up with Kimberly but Kimberly totally ignored her, like straight up let her new friends laugh at and pick on Trini,” His voice was gentler and cautious as he said this, that was around the time Trini started skipping school and met him cutting class in the mines of Angel Groves and they just bonded.  They have been inseparable ever since.

“That’s not even why I’m mad at her.” She lies unconvincingly, swiping her hair from her face. “At camp I gave her my prized tamagotchi to keep, promising she would give it back if we ever meet again, she never returned it when I came to Angel Grove. That motherfucker is like six years old, it’s probably valuable!” She said humorously, trying to distract them.

“Yeah sure that’s why,” Zack snorts, playfully splashing some of the pool water onto her.

“Whatever let’s just get Billy some clothes and teach him some dating etiquette,” She refocused the discussion, sending a hard kick in Zack’s direction.

“Yeah we don’t need him confessing his love again,” He agreed, shaking his head in disapproval as he remembers the merman’s social faux pas earlier today.

“Boys scare easily, they're like deer in the wild, you have to trick them into a false sense of security before you do something like that,” Trini advised, flipping through a few girly teen magazines that her nagging mother keeps buying to influence how she dresses and acts.

Snorting with laughter, Zack’s eyebrows rose at that statement. “Like you know anything about dating guys, I’ll take Billy under my wing, as a guy who has dated guys,” He beats his chest as if bragging about his expertise.

The clearly gay girl rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue in defiance, “Hey I’ll have you know that I once date--,” 

“Trini come down here and help pack!” From below Trini’s mom’s shrill angry voice disrupts the conversation.

Her playful expression turned sour. “I’m coming mom! Give me a minute!” She growled.

Not a second later her mother shouts back just as aggressively. “No get down here right now young lady! You’re not putting this off anymore!!!”

“I gotta go guys.” Sighing and grumbling in defeat, Trini walks to the exit and begins climbing down. “Zack at least find Billy some wearable clothes for his date,” She said gesturing to her dad’s very lame clothes that he was forced to wear.

After Trini leaves Zack’s face becomes morose.

He turns to Billy, “Trini’s mom is leaving because she’s a doctor and she got an offer to head a special drug trial in LA, being a shitty Podunk town Angel Grove can’t afford to run the trial from here.” He begins to plead, his eyes becoming glossy. “You could fix that with magic right? Can’t you swing two wishes? _One for each of us_?”

It was Billy turn to get sad, his eyes helpless and apologetic. “Sorry it’s beyond my control, one wish per task. Since you guys are working together on one mission you only get one wish.”

Zack sighs exasperatedly, having expected as much.

“You really want her to stay don’t you,” He asked, having empathetically picked up on his emotions, he was feeling a strong yearning for closeness.

“Yeah,” He affirmed immediately, never doubting it.

Billy swam right up in his face, his eyes and smile suddenly wide. “You love her don’t you?”

“Yeah of course,” Zack replies chuckling as Billy’s eagerness. “But probably not the same way you want Jason to love you.”

That response caused Billy’s eyebrow to furrow and his forehead to crease in confusion, “Isn’t all love the same?”

Shaking his head and smiling knowingly, he retorts, “No kid, there are many types of love.”

There was a glint in his eyes and mood surrounding him that the empathetic merman could not decipher for the life of him.

 

Around one o’clock after putting in some hours at Snack Shack Zack picks up Billy helped him dry off and took him to his home in the melody mobile home park on the outskirts of Angel Grove.

 “Since I spent tons of money for you to have that paddle boat date with Jason you’re going to have to borrow my clothes,” Zack says, leading Billy through the narrow hallway of his small yet neat mobile home.

“Okay, it does not matter to me what I wear,” Billy follows his friend, appreciating the pictures on the walls of a younger Zack and the little items with a sentimental value. It has a very homey welcoming atmosphere.

“Say hi to my mom before we go to my room,” Stopping outside an open door, Zack ushered Billy inside.  
  
Inside the little room there was an even littler bed with a woman in it who looked a lot like Zack, only with a softer face and a few wrinkles around her eyes and mouth.  Her face creased even more when she smiled, as Billy entered the room, Zack behind him.

Her body looked frail and weak but she had an approachable joyful aura.  
  
“Hello Zack’s mother!” He greeted, waving at her.

“Hello dear,” She replied with a wider smile, her voice accented.  She turns to Zack and continues in mandarin, one of the many languages Billy understands. “Is this your new friend Billy? Ah it’s good you’re making more friends.”

“Yeah mom, we’re going to be in my room having a makeover montage, call me if you need anything,” Timidly Zack returns her smiles and quickly turns to leave, pulling Billy with him.

She chuckles sweetly and calls out to him in mandarin as they leave. “Alright have fun!  It’s good to see you being a child again. You look really happy!”

A rosy blush dusted Zack’s pale cheeks, he really didn’t want his mother getting used to Billy, in case he doesn’t get true love and they never see him again.

Billy never thought it impossible to be so very happy and sad at the same time but Zack found a way, he exuded conflicting emotions.

While in Zack’s room they try on clothes, 80s and 90s pop music playing loudly in the background. Every heartbeat by Amy Grant seemed to resonated well with Billy’s situation but he didn’t start to really dance until one of the few pop country songs on Zack’s playlist start playing. Zack will admit Shania is one of his guilt pleasures.

“Dude you’re so bad at dancing I’m embarrassed for you,” He snort laughs as Billy waves his hands around wildly and gyrates his hips in a carefree fashion.

Mimicking Trini, Billy stuck out his tongue and continues jumping around on Zack’s bed. “I dance pretty well for a guy who has only had legs for two days!”

“True,” Zack concedes handing him another outfit to try on. “My mom is always trying to get me to wear this to church, but it’s not my style at all.”

Billy briefly examines the argyle checkered navy sweater vest and the light periwinkle button up underneath. “Hey Zack do you love your mom too?” He asked, flopping down onto the bed.

“Yes of course, she’s the best,” He replied, turning down the music so Billy could talk about his favorite topic.

“So you love your mother and you love Trini, who do you love the most?” He strips off his clothes in front of Zack with hesitation. At this point neither Trini nor Zack flinches when he does it anymore.

“It’s not like that. You can’t measure and compare the love like that. Love is too powerful to be put on a scale. I’ve never had a friend I cared for as much as Trini and I only have one mom, _my only cool awesome mom_. And you can love multiple people at the same time in different ways,” He lectures passionately as Billy tries on the clothes, having a little trouble with the layers but worked it out quickly.

“Oh okay, I think I understand more now. In a way love reminds me of magic, it’s really powerful and it has its own set of rules,” Billy claps his hands triumphantly as he finished piecing together his outfit.

“Kind of,” He says halfheartedly, too busy admiring Billy in this outfit. “That blue sweater vest looks great you on dude.”

“You sure Jason will like it?”

“It’s very nerd chic,” He compliments, walking round the merman’s figure, inspecting him from all angles. “It suits you very well, if he really likes you, he will like it.”

“Great,” Billy says looking in the mirror feeling pleased with himself, feeling hopeful.

While Billy happily checks himself out in the mirror Zack lay back on the bed, Billy was cute and Jason would be dumb not to see it. They were so close to their wish, he could feel it. “What do you need him to do to prove his love anyway?”

“Oh I need him to kiss me and say “I love you,” by the ocean so my mom can hear,” He informs, a coy smile played on his lips as he admits something incredibly cute. “Well I don’t actually need him to kiss me but I want him to. I really want him to.” Both his hands clutch his cheeks as he imagines what it would be like kissing Jason.

Zack chuckles watching his friend get flustered and giddy. “I get it, good luck Billy, you deserve true love.”

“ _Thanks Zack_.”

  
  
The last splash was the finale of the many community organized beach fairs and activities, it was big with families and even bigger with couples. The sun was high in the sky, the weather was balmy and beautiful and the waters were blue and inviting.  
  
At 2:57 Trini, Zack and Billy piled outside of the Surf N’ Turf Shack, one of the best dining establishments in Angel Grove, only second to Krispy kreme. They had just arrived because Billy had discovered Faith Hill and they had the hardest time getting him out of the house.

“Is he in there?” Trini asked, as Zack peered through the window looking for Jason. It wasn’t long before he found him sitting at table with Kimberly hart.

Oh no, he was sitting at a table across from the hottest girl in school, _smiling_.

“I think we have a problem,” Zack informed, grimacing as he eyes Kimberly laying her palm on top of Jason’s fist comfortingly. “We have a big problem.”

He didn’t realize his taller mer-friend was behind him, looking over his shoulders. When he turned around the miserable look on Billy’s face told him he had seen the display of affection between the two small town celebrities. “Why is Jason with Kimberly if he invited me, it’s a date right...Aren’t people supposed to be alone on romantic dates?”

Seeing the utter disappointment on his face, as if he was seconds from crying Trini gritted her teeth and pushed the glass door open. “Come on Billy, I’m fixing this!” She declared dragging Billy into the pirate themed diner with her.

Trini marched over to their table, Billy’s hands in hers and Zack trailing behind obediently. When they reached the table, she let go of Billy’s hands and put her hands on hers hips. “Well if it isn’t Jason Lee Scott and Kimberly Ann Hart,” She said with a snarky tone in her voice.

“Billy…you’re here…I thought…” He stuttered spotting Billy, who was hiding behind Trini. “I’m glad you made it.”

“You really mean it?” He chimed in, disappointed expression immediately evaporating.

Jason nodded, smiling as Billy’s face lit up with joy.

Trini and Kimberly made eye contact, Kimberly smiled but she just received a scowl from the other girl. “Kimberly I need to talk to you.”

“Right now?” Kimberly asked, seemingly confused Trini was even talking to her. “Can I ask why?”

“It’s about something you owe me,” She sassed, her arms crossed over her chest, showing her earnestness. “Does the name Mr. snuffaluffagus ring a bell?”

Kimberly snorted laughed, looking up at her skeptically. “That thing?”

“Yes, I want him back,” She states, still scowling at her.

“Now?”

“ _Now_.” She demanded.  

Kim looks up at her a subtle hint of hopefulness in her smile. “Alright, I think he’s still in my car. My mom really liked him and kept taking care of him,” She gets up from the table and grabs her designer handbag.

 “Follow me,” She says turning to leave, before Jason reached out for her hand in what looks to be desperation.  
  
“Do you really have to leave now Kim…I need you…for you know…what we talked about,” He said as if pleading with her to stay, anxiousness and fear in his voice.

Billy would admit seeing him clinging to Kim hurt. It was a hurt he wasn’t used it.  It hurt like the same as when his tail fin collided with the propeller of a boat but internally. And that was the most painful thing he has ever felt.

“It will be really quick Jason,” She assures, leaning down and whispering something in his ears while smirking.

“Why don’t you sit down Billy, you and Jason can keep each other company until we come back,” Trini instructs, her eyes squint at the suspicious behavior between the cheerleader and football player.

 Jason gulps when the boy sits down and stares at him intently. “You look… _neat_ Billy,” He compliments pointing to Billy’s spiffy sweater vest, nervously taking a sip of his drink.  

“You too Jason,” He returns the praise, pointing to Jason’s red plaid shirt and blue jeans. “You look nice…like the man on the paper towel wrapper.”

He chokes on his drink upon hear this, half of what was in his mouth ending up on his shirt. He could only block his grin from view with the napkin he used to wipe his mouth.

Zack bit his lip to keep from bursting out laughing, but a few snickers escaped, “Billy actually said he looks like the brawny man! I’m gonna die!” He whisper screamed in Trini’s ear.

Trini bit back her own laughter, watching the boys at the table awkwardly interact. She motions to the table behind Jason and Billy, where a lone girl sits. “Just stay close to them, watch him to make sure he doesn’t get in trouble. Eat all you want, and I’ll cover the tab.”

“Really?”  He asks, realizing his did come empty handed to the restaurant.

“Yeah it’s the least I can do since you spent so much yesterday,” She flashed him a quick smile before running off behind Kimberly.

Zack waves her walks off then sits at a table nearby where a stunning girl in a green leather jacket was reading a book.

He watches the couple intently, noticing the way they were slowly warming up to each other, Jason offering Billy some of his French fries, Billy immediately salts the fries and his water. Jason’s eyes widen in surprise but he doesn’t correct or judge him, he just adds some salt to his own water to not make Billy feel weird.

He grimaces when he drinks his salty water but when Billy starts excitedly rambling about something or another, his facial expression became serene and interested.

It was cute

 

Outside on their walk to the parking lot Kimberly tries to engage Trini in some conversation but is ignored in favor of looking ahead into the crowded people to search for Kim’s signature little hot pink modern Volkswagen beetle.

“You’ve started skipping biology again, I know you hate that class but is something going on?” She inquired about Trini’s wellbeing once again and waited for the lack luster answer she would eventually receive.

“No,” She responded coldly, speeding up her steps.

The cheerleader sighed warily, “Can I get an answer that isn’t one syllable?”

“You could, but you won’t,” Trini sassed, then a second later realized that sentence was more than one syllable and mentally kicked herself.

Kimberly smiled smugly when she realized what she had made her do. It was cute, without being able to see Trini’s face she could tell she was pouting at her misstep. “You know how in the surf shack I said my mom took care of Mr. Snuffaluffagus? _I lied_.”

Trini footsteps slowed without realizing it, she turned around facing Kim with the most helpless expression Kim had ever seen on her face. She looked as if she was about to cry, her eyes glossy and her lips quivering.

“ _He’s alive_ ,” Kimberly immediately clarified, terrified she had actually hurt her. “I just meant I am the one who took care of him all these years,” She said closing the space between she and Trini, gazing down at her with a gentle expression, afraid of scaring her off. “I kept my promise.”

“ _Really_?” the smaller girl asks, her eyes pleading for it to be true.

“Yeah, I love the needy motherfucker, I keep him on my key chain and played with him in class,” She admits endearing and honest. Her fingers acted on their own moving a stray loc of hair from Trini’s glowing face. “How about we co-parent the little shit, you get him on weekdays and then I get him on the weekends?” She offers amicably, her hand caressing her cheeks.

A shiver ran through Trini, she was woken from whatever trance she was in. The smile left her lips as she grabbed Kim’s hand, removing it from her face.

You could pinpoint the very second Kimberly’s heart broke, her hand dropping limp at her side.

Trini turned her back to her and continued walking to the parking lot. “Even if I wanted to I’m moving in two days, we’re leaving Angel Grove behind so my mom can do her big drug trial in the city,” She tells her sadly, walking faster so Kim cannot see her tortured expression.

“I didn’t know,” Kim attempts to comforts her, running up behind. “ _I’m sorry_ ,” she pleads sincerely. “I’m sorry for what I did, I was a kid who was afraid of her own strong feelings, I was afraid of what everyone would think, I didn’t mean to throw away what we had,” added tears rolling down her face.

“Too late for all that,” Trini spat coldly, stealthily wiping away a tear from her cheeks so the other girl couldn’t see.

  
  
It was hardly five minutes later before the awkwardness atmosphere around Billy and Jason had faded and they were talking actively and laughing like they were on the paddle boat.

“So there I was running across the football field, butt naked, covered in maple syrup and my junk covered by only maple leaves,” Jason tells him another one of his rousing football stories from earlier this year, many of which included him being something completely reckless and were above all pointless.

“Why?” Billy asked perplexed, sensing that Jason’s half heartedly chuckle was not genuine, “Why do you did you do it? It didn’t seem like your idea?”

The armor piercing question caught Jason off guard. He looked in Billy’s big brown eyes and didn’t see judgment, he just saw genuine concern. “I know it’s stupid but I had to, everyone one on the team was doing it. I’m their quarterback I couldn’t just opt out, it would look bad,” He explained trying to get Billy to understand.

Billy raised his eyebrow’s skeptically, “Jason if you don’t mind, I’ve made a conclusion about you,” he shares hesitantly, afraid to upset Jason.

Swallowing drily, Jason mentally prepares himself for Billy’s assessment, sure he was about to be rejected or humiliated.  “What is it?”

Gazing intensely across the table at Jason’s yielding blue eyes, Billy addressed a feeling he deduced since their very first chat on the paddle boat. “You were so worried about what people think that you only ever did what they wanted, and never what you wanted to do, it made you sad and angry.” He clearly articulated, hoping his date was not scared off by his honesty and boldness.

Silently Jason just stared at Billy, replaying all he had said in his head. It made perfect sense. It was like a fog had been lifted and he could finally see himself through the eyes of a person who understood and cared. “You know what Billy, you’re right,” He sighed wistfully as if a weight had been lifted off of him. “You’re so damn right.”

“Then how about we change that,” Billy piped up optimistically, giving off more light and warmed than the florescent light fixtures above. “Let’s do something right now, something you want to do, that you kept yourself from doing!”

Recognizing the boy’s enthusiasm, he chuckled in amusement but declined. “I don’t know Billy, I don’t think a public pirate themed diner is the best place to release my inhibitions. “

“That’s no way to think, it doesn’t have to be some huge risk, how about something small?” He said still persistent and optimistic. The little glint of infatuation in his eyes was wearing Jason down.

“I don’t know Billy,” Jason offered some more resistance; trying to stand his ground as Billy made the cutest expression.

“Please…” He pleaded, with a quivering bottom lip, showed Jason he knew what he was doing to him. “At least tell me if you’re too scared to do it,”

Taking a deep breath, shaking his head in defeat he reluctantly admitted, “I guess I would dance with the boy I like,” Billy glances around the room quickly before pointing to his own chest.  “Yes I mean _you_ ,” He reiterated.

Billy’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, he exuded joy. “Why can’t you dance with me? Those people are dancing, so I know it’s allowed!”

Jason glanced around the room and saw there were people already paying their table too much attention. A group of Angel Grove high students especially didn’t take their eyes off them the whole night. “Well Billy, the entire town is here, the minute we start dancing people will start staring, whispering, taking pictures and before I know it all of Angel Grove will know…I’m… _you know_ ,” He sighed, trying to avoid having ruining their nice date.

“Why would they care so much?” Billy asked seeming not understanding the concept of homophobia, Jason understood that he was foreign but he was pretty sure it existed everywhere. 

“Because we’re two guys Billy,” He replies, throwing subtly aside to deter his date from doing what he planned on doing. “It’s not completely unheard of in California but it’s not that accepted yet, not in our little town.”

“Then we will be the first.” Billy defiantly stood up from his chair and put his hand out for him to accept. “We will be the first two guys to dance together in the Surf Shack,” Billy was bold and braver than Jason ever was.

‘ _Billy_ …” He softly whispered his last pleas.

A very familiar instrumental disrupted the touching moment. Billy’s mouth hung open in the form of an ‘oh’ and his eyes broaden in delight. He looked towards the front of the room that was sectioned off for dancing and saw Zack whispering in the ears of the guy operating the sound system.  “That is Faith Hill Jason! We’re doing this! Jason we have to dance to this song!” He squealed grabbing hold of Jason’s hand pulling to the almost empty dancing floor.

“This Kiss,” by Faith Hill got louder the closer they got to the front.

Seeing in unfiltered happiness and exuberance Jason threw caution to the wind and allowed himself to be pulled to the front of the room. He tried his very best not to look back down on the crowd of people that may be judging him and kept his eyes on Billy. Looking at Billy he was sure he could do anything.

Except dance, even Billy couldn’t get him to dance well.

“I can’t dance well Billy,” He said as he admitted, barely rocking side to side before he was already an embarrassed blushing mess.

“Zack says I can’t dance well either but I know he’s wrong,” Billy said his eyes trained on Jason as he swayed his hands above his head and gyrated his hips. “You just have to let the music carry you, like a wave.”

Closing his eyes and imagining himself in the water Jason started rocking rhythmically to the beat, when he opened his eyes, Billy was closer to him then he remembered, close enough he couldn’t convince anyone that they were not dancing together. But for the first time he was honestly doing something he wanted and having fun.

More people joined the dance floor but he didn’t notice he was too busy dancing carefree and uninhibited just inches away from a boy he liked. If you had told Jason he would be doing this a few days ago he would never have believed you.

The upbeat sound ended and was replaced by the much slower, softer Shania Twain’s “You’re still the one.” From the corner of his eye Billy could see Zack offering the DJ a piece of cake as a bribe.

The other couples on the dance floor got really closer to each other, wrapped their hands around each other’s waist slowly rocking to the romantic tone. Though tempted, Jason kept his hands to himself, remembering the last time he tried to touch Billy he pushed him off and ran away.

“We don’t have to do what they do,” He whispered softly to Billy as they were forced to get closer as more couples joined in. “We can just sit—

“But what if I want to,” Billy insisted, his voice just as soft and emotional filled as Jason was. He bravely put his hands out for Jason to take.

Their eyes connected in an intense gaze. There was a transfer of emotion and permission, and as a result any hesitation either had felt melted away in seconds.

Timidly Jason took Billy’s hands and wrapped it around his waist. Closing the space between them he coiled his hands around Billy’s neck, resting his head on the taller boy’s shoulders. “Good because I wanted to too…”

Romantic slowly country hit after hit played and the two boys never separated, they were in their own world. Jason only ever lifted his headd from Billy’s shoulders so he could press his forehead against his, lovingly. “I’ve never met anyone like you Billy…

The merman chuckled, rubbing their foreheads together. “You have no idea Jason.”

It was the perfect moment.

Hours passed and the couple had had their fill of dancing so they wondered outside, walking along the beach, holding hands, and talking.

It was only when the warm orange rays of the setting sun illuminated Jason’s blue eyes did Billy realize that the sun was setting. He had to go.

“I have to go Jason!” Billy said forcing himself to pull away from the other boy.

“ _Again_ ,” Jason whined tempted to hold on to Billy forever. “Come Billy, at least stay for the fireworks!” He begged, unafraid of sounding clingy.

“I want to more than anything Jason, but I have to leave,” He explained, feeling render him helpless to the other’s desperate eyes. “Mom’s orders,” He added to boast his claim.

“But you leave tomorrow….” Jason’s sigh and pout were weakening his resolve by the second. “I want to spend more time with you….what can I say to make you stay?” he was ready to bargain.

“You can tell me……you tell me…

“Tell you what?” Jason asked impatient between stutters.

“Tomorrow you can tell me! Tomorrow come to the pier at nine o’ clock and I might stay,” Billy blurted out anxiously, coming closer to Jason.

“Tell you what!” He burst out perplexed by everything Billy was saying in such a rush.

Without much notice Billy leaned in and pressed his lips to Jason’s firmly, pressing it hard yet chastely before pulling quickly, flashing a smile before running off. “You can tell me how that made you feel!” He yelled speeding off in the other direction.

Once again Jason was left awestruck as the incredible boy runs away, this time there was a smile on his face as he pressed his fingers to his lips, now having assurance that his feelings were indeed reciprocated.

Tomorrow at nine, reminded himself.

  
Billy ran back to the Surf N turf shack to look for Zack but couldn’t find him, he ran outside to the parking lot where Kimberly and Trini said they were going but did not see Trini either. He was panicking running around frantically, the sun was going down faster and if moon’s light touches him he will turn back to a mermaid in the parking lot for everyone to see.

The parking lot was empty, but still easily accessible, he was so scared. He felt himself on the verge of hyperventilating. It wasn’t made any better when he when he heard a familiar unpleasant voice.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” He heard, spun around and saw the menacing Colt Wallace and two of his equally vile friends stalking towards him. “Should have guessed you were sucking Scott’s dick,” He said insultingly.

Billy froze when he grabbed his hand, his face contorted in confusion and discomfort. “What are you doing?”  
  
The bully roughly started to bend back his fingers, “I’m just going to quietly snap your wrist you little bitch!” He threatened, putting force on Billy’s wrist.

Billy whimpered in pain but stopped when he saw how dark it had gotten. In that moment the moon was high in the sky, its glow shining down on everything below.  
  
It was only a matter of seconds before Billy groaned, “Oh no,”

Magically, his legs suddenly joined together, he lost his balance and fell to the ground out of Colt’s grasp.

Unable to look away the ruffians stared on in shock as Billy’s leg skin started becoming blue and scaly, his feet transforming to a large tail fin and he finally morphed completely back into a mermaid.

He looked at them, and they looked back, not blinking. “I can ex---

Before he could offer any explanation the three boys released a high pitched scream and bolted off into the other direction. “He’s a fucking fish!” Billy heard them yell as they ran further away in terror.

He pouted dejected and sighed, he was going to be left in the parking lot to be found by anyone. He will have broke one of the first mermaid rules, to be discreet in public or suffer the consequences.

Wrapped up in his silent lamentation he didn’t notice the door of a nearby pink VW Bug, or the heard the clacks of heels against the pavement.

“Mom’s going to kill me….

“Well…well…well,” A figure said behind him, sending chills up his spine. “It is just like Jason Scott to fall for a damn mermaid.”

Billy froze in fear.

  
  
After crying in the bathroom for a while after her reunion with Kimberly, Trini exited the portable toilets, her eyes red and puffy. When she noticed the soft blue moonlight shining down on her she ran to the Surf Shack and searched for Billy and Zack, hoping they had made it home in time.

Instead he saw Zack talking to Jason, “Where did you last see him? What did he say!” he yelled in panic.

“We were on the beach, he said we should meet in the pier at nine and just ran off,” Jason frightened and worried gripped Zack’s shoulders, “What’s wrong? Is he in trouble?”

Unable to answer convincingly, Zack was glad when Trini ran up to them fake smiling, “Billy just called me, he ran home early to skype his mom,” She said hoping the excuse would settle Jason’s nerves.

“Oh he did mention his mom,” Jason said sighing in relief, “Tell him I had a great time, when you see him,” He said smiling from ear to ear, just glowing. 

“Will do!” Trini yells, already tugging Zack out of the restaurant by ear. “You were supposed to be watching him Taylor!” she berated, calling him by his last name to show her frustration.

“I was!” Zack whined pulling hand off his ears, “I really was then I met this girl…her name is Tom---

“I can’t believe you! You had one job! One job!” She yells, glaring at him.

“Yeah well where were you?” He countered, pointing at her accusingly, “Off cavorting with Kimberly Hart, the enemy!”

Trini growled at the accusation and pushed his hand out of her face, “I’ll have you kno---

The two quarreling friends were interrupted by Colt and his gang loudly ranting and raving to Amanda Clarke and her sidekick Rebecca. The two girls were laughing at them but the boys looked serious, “I’m telling you he turned into a fish! Half a fish!” He argued, but was dismissed with more laughter.

Eyes widen and ears perked, Trini and Zack listened in closely.

“I’m telling you he was in the parking lot,” He continued following behind the giggling girls. “He must have turned back human and ran away!”

“Yeah sure!” Amanda dismisses him, walking back into the Surf N Turf shack.

“Colt saw him transform!” Zack panicked, his anger at Trini turning into concern for Billy’s safety, “And now he’s gone!”

“I think I know where he is,” Trini states, trying to calm down her friend and think positively. “Someone had to have taken him, since he can’t walk away, I think I know who,” She pulled out her phone and searched through her contacts.

“Who?” Zack scrounged up his face dubiously, they were the only ones who knew about Billy, if one had taken him it could not be for any other reason than to expose him to the CIA or papers and collect the cash.

“He should be fine…. _I hope_ ,” She says, tapping the devil icon under Kimberly’s name.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm a huge sap.

 

“This place is beautiful,” Billy said swimming around in a large moon pool with in caves of the gold mine several hours outside of Angel Grove , “Are you sure it’s not connected not the sea?”

“My house is just behind the mountains so I come here all the time but I have no idea where the water source is.” Kimberly responses, floating lazily behind him. She swims up the mermaid, smirking. “Maybe its rain water collected for many years or maybe it is _magic_.”

Billy chuckles getting what she was hinting at, “I’m not the authority on magic, I barely understand how mermaid magic works.”

“ _Figures_ ,” Kimberly sighs, looking intently at the merman. He looked like a normal human for the most part but from the hips down the majestic long blue tail with shimmering scales sure was very much supernatural. “What are you doing here? Why is a mermaid just hanging around Angel Grove…romancing its golden boy?” She comments alluding to the fact he was interested in Jason.

“I’m trying to find true love,” Billy said bluntly, drawing near to her as she contemplated his answer.  “Do you love Jason?” He chimed in when she didn’t respond for some time.

“Yeah I guess I do,” Kimberly answers plainly, lazily doing a backstroke around the curious merman.

“Oh, I see,” Billy murmured dejectedly at her response.

She chuckled looking at his sad puppy dog expression. “I think we have a misunderstanding kid,” she clarified with a smirk on her face as she finally realized why Trini was so determined to get rid of her back at the diner. “He’s my best friend, I can assure you we’re not dating and he’s gay so that is a big factor and more than that… _he adores you Billy_.”

A smile played on Billy’s lips when he heard that. “Then why do people think you’re both dating?”

Kimberly thinks quietly for a few seconds, “There were always rumors because I was head cheerleader and he was the new quarterback but it guess there was never anything substantial until we went to Amanda Clarke’s sweet sixteen birthday, we were playing spin the bottle and were forced into a room. We were expected to have sex or at least get to second base,” she divulged, thinking nothing of telling him this story.

“So we tried, we awkwardly fooled around for bit before he admitted he was gay and it was futile,” She was chuckling softly as she reminisced. “We had to do something so we pretended we had sex. He got to maintain the playboy quarterback reputation and I was the envy of every girl in Angel Grove.”

Billy nodded his head as he followed along with the story, completely enraptured with the odd and pointless human rituals.

“We became best friends that night and have been close ever since,” She wrapped up the story, closing her eyes so she can bask in the moonlight shining through the natural skylight in the cave.

“Well I love Jason, in _the romantic way_ ,” Billy admits suddenly, looking up at the moon, hoping Jason was looking at it where ever he was. “I think he’s my one true love,’

“Well good luck with that…” Kimberly huffed cynically, “…that dude has serious issues that will take some time to work through.”

The confident merman’s eyebrows furrowed and his pouted childless at her assessment. “We don’t have a lot of time, he has to say he loves me tomorrow or I’ll be dragged back to the ocean and forced to marry some mermaid princess I hardly know,” He disclosed.

“That’s rough buddy,” She retorted a touch of regret for having to rain on Billy’s parade.

“Yeah, speaking of which thank you for rescuing me,” He sighed, as he watched her float peacefully on top of the water, a realization dawn on him. “You get a wish when you help a mermaid you know,” he informed as if he was legally obliged to do so.

Her eyes opened, squinting at him in suspicion. “Really?”

“Yes of course. Do have anything in mind?”

“Yeah there is this girl….”

Kimberly and Billy drifted around in the moon pool until she had to leave him to go home. After climbing out of the cave Kimberly sees she has a miss call. Surprisingly it was from Trini, most likely looking for her mermaid ‘cousin’. She smirks and shoots her a text. “I got your friend, he’s safe, meet us at the pier at nine am, _relax will you_.”

Having received the text Trini and Zack could finally fall asleep in her treehouse.

  
  
In the morning Kimberly got up early and hiked to the gold mines, climbed into the cave and waited patiently for the cheerful merman to resurface. She was not a morning person but he sure was, or he was just excited about his big day. It could either be the day he finds true love or his last day in Angel Grove, either way it was a momentous occasion.

She helped him dry off, taught him how to climb out of the cave and they hiked back to her house for breakfast. Billy’s clothes had not dried over night, and his pants were ripped during his transformation so she was forced to lend him her clothes. She would have borrowed her Dad’s clothes but they were all still in his room and he and her mom were still fast sleep in bed when she snuck Billy into her house.  

Trying some pieces of androgynous clothing the two settled on a loose fitting black graphic t-shirt with blue triceratops on it and matching distressed black skinny jeans that were snug on Billy’s thicker thighs. “They are really tight Kim and they are ripped, I don’t think I should wear these.”

“They were purposely ripped, it’s a fashion choice,” Kimberly chuckled circling him, smacking him on his bum when she came up behind on. “And nonsense, they make your butt look good. Jason will love them.”

“ _Really_ ,” Billy chirped, clapping his hands excitedly when Kim nods her head. It made him happy, even if he had no clue as to why Jason would pay any attention to his butt.

After getting dressed they got in Kim’s VW beetle and drove to the pier. On the way to Kimberly played some of Carrie Underwood’ and Miranda Lambert’s hits, because as weird as it seems this merman loved country music and she did not have much in the way of his preference.

With every passing song he was waving hands out the top of convertible and screaming into the wind. He was given life.

Every now and then Kimberly would glance off the road and over at cherub of a boy, it was very clear to her now why Jason cared for this kid, even if he didn’t know he was a merman.

It was around two hours before she made it to Angel Grove’s docks and a few minutes before she parked and she and Billy trekked over to the pier. When they arrived Zack and Trini were already there tearing into a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, cups of coffee in hand.

“Morning,” Kimberly greeted the two, Billy running up right behind her, “Hey guys!”

“Billy!” Zack and Trini ran over to Billy, wanting to wrap their hands around him in a tight hug but had already picked up he was not a big fan of that. “We missed you!”

“I’m fine,” He consoled, smile directed at Trini who was glowering at Kim. “Kimberly carried me to her car, took me to some caves to sleep in a moon pool, she gave me breakfast and these cool clothes,” he gushed pointing to his outfit.

“Styling Billy,” Zack snickered, admiring his clothes.

“I guess I should say thank you for helping Billy,” Trini murmured, barely able to meets Kim’s gaze.

“You’re welcome, it’s the least I can do,” She says delighted when their eyes do meet. “For Jason and for _you_.” The rosy blush on Trini’s plump cheeks was reward enough.

“Speaking of the guest of honor, where is he?” Zack asked checking his watch, it was five minutes to nine and Billy looked like he was ready to explode from anticipation.

“He will be here,” Kim confirmed, sitting back against a beach chair, stealing some of their donuts. “He probably has to convince his dad to let him start work a little late.”

With that suitable excuse everyone laid back and relaxed but Billy would not take his eyes off the sea. Early in the morning, the beach air was cool and crisp, the waves were gently beating against the rocks and the sun rays were shinning down on them. He thought of Jason, he thought of his short time in Angel Grove and he thought of his mother and what she would think of all he had done.

He hoped she was proud of him for following his dreams, under all that anger and fear for his safety.

While waiting for Jason he wondered onto the wooden pier overlooking the oceans and contemplated. Several minutes later he worked up the courage to lean over the edge and talk to the waves, “Hey mom, how are things back---

“Billy who are you talking to?” Billy heard from behind him, he quickly spun around and saw exactly who he was waiting for.

He saw his one true love, Jason Scott…. _in a sailor suit_.

Eyebrow elevated, his eyes wondered up and down Jason’s body examining his odd choice of clothing which was indeed an authentic sailor suit. “Jason why are you wearing a sailor’s uniform.”

Jason flashed his signature charming smile, posing with his hands on his hips. “Laugh while you can. I’m supposed to be a skipper on deck of my Dad’s fishing boat, it’s a treat for the kids before they go back to school tomorrow,” He explained.

“Ah, I think it makes you look dashing,” Billy flattered, checking him out again. “You should wear it more often.”

“I’ll think about it,” The sailor impersonator chuckled. It was his turn to check out Billy now, eye his tight jeans most of all. “You look different…”

“You like? Kim said you would like my butt in these Jeans,” Billy said bluntly, turning around to show off.

“Well...she’s not wrong,” He admitted, his face flushed and flustered. “Let’s just…change the subject…like right now.”

“Like what?” Billy asked, beginning to walk down the wooden long pier, Jason following beside now.

Having recovered from his embarrassment, Jason beamed with pride as he told Billy about what happened when he came home. “As I said last night being a small town celebrity kind of sucks…by the time I got home a video of us dancing was already on facebook and our neighbor’s daughter showed my dad,” he disclosed.

“What happened?” Billy asked concerned though not receiving any negative vibes off Jason. “What did he do?”

“He tried to interrogate me the minute I got home, I was defensive and closed off. We screamed at each other during which he said he loved me and I looked the happiest he had ever seen in that video and that he was proud of me of coming out, we wounded up crying, my mom and my sister got involved and we cried and reminisced until morning, A lot happened, but we’re better for it,” He revealed all of which had taken place in the Scott household that night. His entire aura and outlook on life was transformed. He exuded pride, love and freeness, it was radiating off him in waves. Billy loved being near him even more than normal, which was a lot.

“It is all because of you Billy,” He avowed, as their eyes met in an adoring gaze. The waves under the pier started to beat roughly against the support beams of the pier, matching the intensity of their feelings. “If I hadn’t met you I wouldn’t have had the courage to be… _myself_.”

Billy’s warm dark umber skin glowed in the sunlight and looked even more stunning swooning under Jason’s romantic attentions. He face was adorned with a sweet closed mouth smile that reached his eyes and lifted his cheeks. “If today is our last day together Billy I want to spend every moment with you,” He confessed, his hands itching to touch Billy in the slightest.

“I’m glad you say that Jason, I feel the same,” Billy expressed in all honesty, now knowing Jason’s feelings were the same. “I have to ask you for something.”

“Go headed,” he prompted.

Inhaling a deep breath, Billy slowly counted to three before exhaling, hoping this would help to calm his nerves. It helped but the devotions in Jason’s sparkling blue eyes is what gave him the confidence he needed. “I came to Angel Grove looking for something my people said doesn’t exist, true all encompassing powerful love but in just three days I think I’ve found it…I think it is because of you,”

“What are…you saying Billy?” Jason anxiously wondered aloud, feigning obliviousness as he realized Billy was looking at him the same the way he did the day they had met.

Billy stared at Jason Scott, eyes glittering and gleaming with fascination. He watched the way his dark blonde hair blew in the summer breeze, a little kiss curl of hair in the middle of his forehead but now all those beautiful features mean so much more now that he had gotten to know the heart and mind behind them.  
  
“Jason, do you love me?” The prince of the mermaids posed the question that would be the decider for his entire future, his eyes wide with innocent and his heart open with hope.

There was that question again. It had to be a misunderstanding. Billy must know not what he’s saying, Jason thought.  Yet way Billy was staring at him there could be no other explanation.

Eyes darting everywhere just to keep from looking in Billy’s eyes, Jason really reflected on the question. Even from the end of the pier their friends could pinpoint the telltale signs of the boy’s nervousness, his face displaying a plethora of emotions before settling on confusion, the way he combed his hand through his hair and his apprehensive stuttering.

 “Billy…I mean…we’ve had one date….” He finally expressed, biting his pink lips harshly when he saw the smile fall off Billy’s face and the gleam in his eyes dimmed. It was absolutely heart-wrenching watching that in real time after seeing Billy so happy.

The waves of the ocean got rougher and rough as Jason’s spoke beating hard against the support beams of the pier, the sky started the darken as if the weather was matching the shift in tone.

 “Don’t get me wrong I like you! I think you’re smart and beautiful and different from anyone I’ve ever met before….and _I’d like to see more of you_ ,” He passionately declares unconsciously gripping Billy’s shoulders.

“But you don’t love me,” Billy whimpered, a single tear running down his face. “Mom was right, love doesn’t exist up here either, just hurt and pain.”  He shook Jason’s hands off his shoulders and ran away.

“Billy, Billy!!” Jason ran after him, fighting against sudden strong winds pushing him back. He caught up with Billy when he had reached the end of his wooden pier, tears now streaming down his face. “I’m sorry Billy but I don’t understand,”

His hands reached out to cup the boy’s face, “I don’t understand why do I have to be in love with you today…why can’t we just work our way there…” He reasoned sincerely, and Billy can feel that Jason cared for him but that wasn’t enough that wasn’t what his mother wanted to hear.

“Jason I---

Before Billy could speak a strong gust of wind picked him up and blew him off the dock and into the water as Jason froze in shock.

Trini and Zack saw the strange phenomenon and raced to the end of the pier where Jason stood staring into the water in disbelief as a miniature whirl pool forming, Billy nowhere in sight.

“Billy! Billy!” They all shouted in union until their voice was hoarse, the darken rain clouds and the sounded less lightning striking above going unnoticed.

“I’m going in to look for him!” Jason proclaimed about to jump him, but before he could Billy’s head surfaced above water, he was naked but fine from his head to his navel but the long scaly blue tail was jarring to say the least.

“ _Billy_ ,” His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, he seriously questioned if he was seeing what he was seeing. How is Billy a mermaid, mermaids aren’t real and aren’t they all girl, he pondered.

“I can explain Jason!” Billy said trying to offer some semblance of an elucidation for being a supposed fictional aquatic creature. But once again his explanation was cut sure as he was surrounded and pulled away by the mini whirl pool.

The fear and distress on the merman’s face, as he fought against the strong current woke Jason put from whatever trance he was in. “Billy I’m coming!” He screamed jumping into the water,

Zack and Trini kicked off their shoes, dropped their phones and jumped in with him. “We’re not letting her take you back Billy!” Trini yelled angrily into the wind.

“He’s ours now sea lady!” Zack added, swimming against the rough waves, tearing through the water with determination in his eyes.

While those two where making headway in the water Jason could barely move as if the waves were singling him out and purposely keeping him from Billy. In the midst of battling against the force of nature he saw Billy was about the pass a big metal buoy and advised him, “Billy grab on to that Buoy and wait for us! We’re coming.”

“Okay!” Billy did as told and clutched the buoy tightly, “Mom please don’t hurt my friends! I know we had a deal but please just let me say goodbye to them,” He pleaded and immediately it became easier for Trini and Zack to swim over but the waves refused to let Jason move from where he was. It figures his mom would dislike him the most as she had to witness him deny he loved Billy.

His two friends made it over to the buoy and climbed on to get out of the dangerous rapidly currents, the sea violent and angry.

“Dude your mom is crazy!” Zack exclaimed, clingy to the buoy and Trini for safety. “She can’t just steal you away so suddenly!”

“You can’t leave! We can’t end our friendship like this,” She pleaded to the merman and openly to his sea mother, her eyes sad and childlike.

“I have to leave, this was the deal,” Billy said, his face marred by regret and heartbreak. “Jason doesn’t love me. I didn’t acquire true love.”

“I didn’t acquire true love,” Zack repeated mocking him, “Bullshit!!!” His eyes were earnest even as if mouth was smiling.

“We love you idiot! Doesn’t our love count?” Trini said grabbing of Billy’s hands while the other held on to Zack.

“It’s not the same,” The merman reckoned, unsure his mother would accept platonic love as true love.

“But it’s just as strong,” Zack recalled, reminding Billy of the lecture he gave on love before. “To prove it I’m giving you our wish,” He proposed

“ _I can’t_ ….”  The thought of Mrs. Taylor ill in bed came to mind and he could never make Zack choose his mother over him. Trini also wanted to protest but knew she couldn’t stop Zack when he got that that fire in his eyes.

“Yes you can!” The human boy insisted willful eyes meeting Billy before lowering his gaze to the ocean and shouting at the water. “I wish Billy could come to shore whenever he wanted, I wish he didn’t have to get married and could be our friend forever!!!”

“I second that!!” Trini also proposed to the sea surrounding them, pointing at it accusingly. “You’re his mom you’re suppose to care about his happiness above all else! He is happy here!”

Billy chuckled as his new amusing friends shouted at the ocean, “Guys, she’s an omnipotent goddess of all living water, if you’re anyway near a natural body of water she can hear you, no need to scream.” He motioned for them to be quiet.

“ _Mom_ ,” He whispered softly, now letting go of the buoy, giving himself over to the currents. “I know you’re afraid I would get hurt. That is what you’ve always feared since we lost dad but you have to understand for me to live any kind of life worth living I must get hurt and I must learn how to deal with that hurt too.” At that testimony rough waves calmed and violent winds became mere sighs.

It did feel like the wary sighs of mother cooling down after a fight with her rebellious teenager. She even released Jason from her watery grasp.

“Trini and Zack loved me right away and that is so awesome but not everyone will love me right away, heck there are people up here who hated me for no real reason. Jason is going to need time to figure out his feelings and that’s okay, even I think I may of jump the gun and overstated my infatuation,” He sincerely admitted, showing what he had learned in his three days on the surface.

“ _Ya think_ ,” Zack sassed, only to receive a jab in the side from Trini for ruining the touching mother/son moment.

“So with this wish and the promise to talk to you every day, and visit Atlantis whenever I can,” He promised sweetly, as the water surrounded him in a tight embrace, mimicking a hug.  “Can I stay in Angel Grove, with my friends?”

In answer to that question the bulbous dark rain clouds opened up forming a halo of sunlight shining down on the three friends holding each other’s hands. Billy closed his eyes, basking in the warmth of his mother’s love and acceptance.

“Love you too mom,” He returned the affection.

“We can go home now?” Zack asked teeth chattering, once again disrupting a serene moment. “I’m wet and freezing.”

Trini shuttered in agreement.

“Yeah let’s go home!”  Billy proclaimed, as Trini and Zack held onto  his shoulders and back as his powerful tail propelled them through the water.

 

Swimming as fast as his little human body could take him Jason met Billy half way, without prompting his two friends let go of him floating themselves to the shore as the couple reunites in private.

Drenched in sea water and panting from exhaustion Jason called out to Billy, “Billy! Billy!” To his surprise he no longer needed to swim as he was lifted above to the surface of the water, by the water. A few hours ago he would have questioned it but his boyfriend was a merman, he could hardly care about the water being weird.

Billy swam over to him and sat on the water’s surface, confirming the surface tension was supernaturally increased tenfold. He scooted close to Jason his large fish tail on display.

“Mer—mermaids are not real,” Jason groaned in a defeated voice, still trying to convince himself otherwise. “You can’t be one… how?”

“That’s offensive Jason,” Billy chortled at his lost expression. “This is why my mother doesn’t like you.”

“Your mother?” Jason puzzled, glancing around the water to see no one else. “And where is she?”

“She’s right here.” A smirk came to Billy’s face as he gestured vaguely to the expansive seemingly never ending ocean around them. “She’s a mermaid like me but also an omnipotent goddess of all living water, so she doesn’t need to be here in person,” He reveals shedding light on Jason’s mystification.

“Oh,” Jason responses dumbfounded.

 “How rude of me, let me introduce you two,” Billy chimed in cheerfully, pointing to Jason then at the water. “Mom this is Jason and I think he’s my boyfriend.”

Soft waves hit Jason’s legs, which he figures must her version of a handshake.

“We’re boyfriends right Jason?” Billy anxiously sought confirmation.

“Yeah definitely,” Jason confirms with hesitation.  

Unnecessarily Jason leans his head into the water.  “Hello...Goddess …of the sea. You’ve done a good job with Billy,” He praises.  “Is it okay if your son and I spend some time together,” He politely asks for permission unknowingly playing into the goddess’s love of tradition and displays of respect.

The clouds parted completely this time. Within seconds the sky was blue again with fluffy white clouds.  A big rainbow arched across the sky above the water. It was beautiful and held much symbolism.

“She said yes,” Billy gratuitously translates her acceptance of their relationship and approval of Jason.

“That’s great,” He sighed in relief. Cautiously he shimmied even closer to Billy, their eyes connecting, a shyness overcoming them. For a good minute Jason just looking at Billy’s full lips intently. “How would she feel about me kissing you?”

Grinning, Billy mentally checked off one his fantasy on his ‘when I find a true love’ to do list. “I don’t know…let’s see,” He said leaning in slowly to close the space between them. Hesitant, Jason faintly brushes his lips on Billy’s, before pulling away. Billy touched his lips with his fingers as a way of savoring the tingly feeling.

“More,” the prince requested plunging back in, capturing Jason’s lips more firmly, gripping the collar of his sailor costume to deepen the kiss. Pleasantly surprised Jason melted into the kiss, pressing his palm against Billy’s bare well-built chest to anchor himself.

Playfully Billy’s tongue explored Jason’s mouth, prodding and teasing every where it touched. The other released a moan into his mouth when his tongue started to tempt and caressed his.

It felt positively surreal to be physically floating on water and mentally floating in the clouds. Neither of them had ever felt anything that could compare to this moment.

The only reason the two love bird would ever consider pulling away now was so that they could live to do this another day.

Both of them were panting, face flushed and unable to hide the glint of desire in their eyes. But neither of them was afraid or shamed of it. It was downright enthralling to know you’re wanted in every way possible by the one you cared for.

“Can I …maybe…?” Jason stuttered in a labored breath, his forehead pressed to his boyfriend’s.

“Yes?”

He bit his bottom lip before whispering, “Touch your … _tail_.”

The merman gasped in offense and jerked himself away. “Asking to touch my tail and we’ve only been on one date Jason!”

Eyes wide in shock as the blonde rambled awkwardly not sure if tail touching was equivalent to something too intimate that Billy wasn’t ready for. “Sorry, I wouldn’t pressure you into doing anything that you didn’t---

Billy burst out laughing, proud of himself for playing a trick on him. “Go ahead, just don’t linger for long, it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Noted,” He acknowledged Billy’s boundaries, swiftly running his hands over the shimmery light blue scaly tail. It felt similar to chainmail on first contact, when he lifted his hands and repeated the same swift motion he would feel between the hard scales was soft moist skin. “I can’t believe I’m _dating a mermaid_.”

“You’re not going to get over this will you,” Billy joked as Jason gazed at him lovingly as if he was a miracle in physical form.

“ _Never_ ,” He said eagerly leaning in for another kiss.

Beneath a clear blue sky, directly under a large vibrant over arching rainbow, being bathed in sunlight Angel Grove’s golden boy Jason Scott made out with a beautiful merman, while dressed as a sailor in the middle of the ocean for hours.

It was enchanting.

                                                    

  
They eventually pulled apart and went home, learning several very important things that day:  
  
1\. Jason’s family is highly tolerant of supposedly fictional aquatic cryptids dating their son.  
  
2\. Kimberly’s wish to have Trini’s mom receive funding to do her drug trial in Angel Grove paid off when Trini was able to stay and the two started dating immediately.

3\. Zack’s valiant sacrifice for Billy got him another wish, which he used to cure his mom’s cancer and the entire gang was there to support him and celebrate during Mrs. Taylor’s recovery.

As Time went by Billy learned to manage his dual life, divided his time between the land and the sea, enough to keep his mother appeased. Eventually he did hear Jason say “I love you,” and it was definitely worth the wait.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing art: http://felixdeon.com/african-american

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Billy is an empath, he feel people's feelings but alot of times he doesn't understand what these feelings mean.  
> 2\. I imagined mermaid Billy freaking out when he had cotton candy for the first like my rural country bumpkin ass did.


End file.
